Remote work declines as unemployment remains low, new data show
People who once worked from home are now heading back to the office, according to new data.
(FOX 9) - A controversial yet convenient byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be waning – people who once worked from home are now heading back to the office, according to new data.
In June, 7.1% of people "teleworked" due to COVID-19 adaptations – down from 7.4% in the previous month – according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics. The data represent a significant decrease from 15.4% in January.
Overall unemployment was 3.6% for the fourth month in a row, and the number of unemployed people was essentially unchanged at 5.9 million in June. To be counted as unemployed, by definition, individuals must be either actively looking for work or on temporary layoff.
In Minnesota, the unemployment rate has dipped to 2%, down from the previous record of 2.2% in April, according to state Department of Employment and Economic Development data. It’s the lowest on record, since recordkeeping began in 1976.
Employment in both professional and business services continued to grow, with an increase of 74,000 employees nationally in June. Within the industry, job growth occurred in management of companies and enterprises (12,000), computer systems design and related services (10,000), office administrative services (8,000), and scientific research and development services (6,000).
The leisure and hospitality industry added 67,000 jobs nationally, as growth continued in food and drink services (41,000). However, employment in leisure and hospitality was down by 1.3 million, or 7.8%, since February 2020.